Stone's Throw

[GamesMaster]

His cousins, thankfully, are also in this group of artists, passing the devilweed and eating a donut respectively. Seems they've been following him as he walks with the group, or some such. 

"It's mostly about attire, attitude, and abilities," the dancer's friend begins. 

[Andreas Amell]

"But of course," Dreas says with a nod. "Such is art. But is it a fashion show? A dance? Theatre?"

[GamesMaster]

"Yes, all of the above," says the dancer unhelpfully. 

"Don't be vague, Pip," replies their friend. "It's mostly a beauty pagant. They're each performing an act in costume, of whatever talent they want to showcase, and they're ranked accordingly."

[Andreas Amell]

"Ah! This sound similar to burlesque, it seems to me. Is that correct?" 

[GamesMaster]

"Yes, very like!" agrees Pip. "And we're just about there."

The group pull up to a small park, with a stall at the entrance marking it as a venue run by Asteans for outdoor performances. They buy tickets -- spotting the three youngsters -- and head inside, where it's revealed that the contraption on Scott's back is actually a pavillian tent. Pip and their friend (whose name turns out to be Tadpole) arrange a bunch of pillows around the tent, drawing three sides closed so they can see the stage but have some privacy. Ezra and Cameron pull fruit and a small folding table out of their bag, setting up a nice little snack table in the center of the tent. They have a great view of the stage having gotten there early, and now they have a snack and friends to hang out with. 

And then Pip and Tadpole start kissing on Scott's lap. Sami and Addy quickly join in the bandwagon in their own corner, across the tent, and Ezra leans back on their hands, watching with a faint smile. Cameron sits next to Dreas as Pip starts to unbutton Scott's trousers. 

[Andreas Amell]

Dreas, loveable, oblivious, Dreas, doesn't notice a thing as he carefully takes in the details of the stage with a surprisingly learned eye. He has zero acting, singing, dancing or instrumental skill but he knows stage craft rather well in an academic sense. After all, there's a reason why he was able to note drags similarity to burlesque so quickly; a Light's wife (or ex-wife or whatever Beth is to Don) certainly can't be a whore but she can certainly have a little stage hobby...

"Interesting layout l," he remarks after a good minute or so. "There's some nod to concern over autistics but the focus is clearly on sightlines. And on stage access in the back for some reason? Do you have any idea why that--" and that's when he turns his head to look at whoever is sitting next to him and discovers how good his own sightlines to the triad are right now. "Umm."

[GamesMaster]

Cameron chuckles at his expression. "Lighten up, it's just a little fun. Here, have a puff," they add, offering Dreas the blunt. "It'll loosen you up."

[Andreas Amell]

"Ah, no thank you," Andreas says quickly, leaning away a touch and fixing his eyes back on the stage. "Smoke of all kind is-- it's a scent thing," he explains, tapping his nose. "But thank you. Is... is this-- them-- typical of... drag shows?"

[GamesMaster]

Cameron shrugs. "It's how we like to keep occupied while we wait. If it's the smoke," they add, digging into their pouch and offering a small baked good. "Same effect, different format," they warn. 

[Andreas Amell]

"Perhaps after the show," Andreas demurs, though he gives the small scone a curious look. "I wish to view this new art with clear eyes and a focused mind."

[GamesMaster]

"Well, hang onto it just in case." Cameron presses the scone into his hand, turning their attention back to the stage.

It's some time before the show begins; during the wait there's plenty of smoking and fooling around, though the most explicit is Addy going down on Sami while Pip fingers her.

[Andreas Amell]

Andreas does, once or twice, glance at Scott, Tadpole and Pip, but he doesn't so much as allow himself to hear anything his cousins are doing. He'll not shame them for their choices, but he has firmly decided that he is not that kind of family. He also, very discretely, focuses on the scone in his hands while considering it as food to see if his necklace pings it as toxic. Working by way of mindset as they do, he mentally classifies the baked good as the same as whiskey.

"Do you know anything about the artists-- performers?" He asks Cameron in a low voice as the hypeman comes out to stoke the crowd-- and give them all a warning that they should settle down enough to watch.

[GamesMaster]

Cameron turns out to be a good source of, not information about the performance, but street gossip about each of the performers. 

The first woman is a dancer, coming out in an elaborate, extravagant Toukami gown with an even more elaborate Toukami hairstyle. She dances... well, it's not staid, cultured ballet, that's for certain. What she does is more akin to what Sami was doing a short time ago, actually. She stokes the crowd to cheers as she performs, clearly a popular performer. And the street gossip is mostly about who she's fucked and when. 

The second performer is a singer, also done in an elaborate formal costume with plenty of face-paint and sequins. She sings a bard's tale, acting out some of the best bits with her hands. 

The third is also a woman. In fact, when he asks if they're all women, Cameron laughs, congratulating him on being funny, before spilling the gossip about this woman and her boyfriend and the boyfriend is cheating but she caught him at it and... 

Cameron shuts up as Miss Heidi Salami is called up. The whole crowd goes quiet, in awe of her radiant beauty -- definitely an aasimar. And when she opens her mouth to sing, it's clear she has Siren's blood as well: her song tugs at them, opening a yearning to go to her, be near her, love her. Give up everything for her. Follow her, make her your muse, your inspiration. 

[Andreas Amell]

"Amazing," Dreas breathes out, eyes wide and the tip of his tail snapping back and forth as he studies Miss Salami. "That's a classical elven wind aria but she's done... something with the meter I can't put my finger on." So enraptured is the merikos catfolk, he doesn't notice the soft pulse and warmth coming from the earring his Grandpapa got him-- and all of his cousins-- years ago. Which just proves that even high quality equipment can't make up for the shortcomings of fools and youth.

[GamesMaster]

"Do you want to meet her?" asks Cameron, softly.